The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-05-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. May 2Oth. 1Sel


Soldier boys from Puget Sound, Tex
"a, New Orleans and other points have
already arrived land thousands OF others
are bowling along over the railroads on
their way to Camp George Washington.
The latter name is the christening that
the camp will receive on next Monday,
when the drill will be formally opened.
At the camp ground no drum has beat
yet, but the reveille in sounded by the
lively ring of hundreds of hammers,
The busiest scenes are around the
base of Washington monument. Scores
OF men are at work there putting down
plank floors for the tents. Nearly all
the monument grounds will be appro-
priated for this purpose. Scores OF
carpenters are also working hard on
the grand stand in the drill enclosure
from which the contest will be viewed
The drill ground is probably the finest
piece of grassland which could have
been found for the purpose in the whole
country, 1t is now entirely enclosed
within board fence twelve feet high
There are about ten acres of green as
smooth and fiat az tennis lawn. The
plot is oval and the grand stand ex-
tends just half around it. From this
the view is very fine whatever way you
look.
70 the southwark the white marble
monument-the highest in the world
glistens in the sunshine. The view
northward is particularlysfn To the
left lie the magnificent war, state and
navy department buildings, and to the
right the solid, old granite treasury,
while between the two the white house
smiles through groups of tall green
trees. The COTc0ran building, AL
baugh's Theatre aud the Panorama
building of the battle of Bulls Run are
all near by, and although rather too far
tor perfect satisfaction, the roof of any
of them would afford a clear view OF
the entire drill ground.
The interstate commerce commission
has returned home from its wanderings
and has decided it can best attend to it's
duties by remaining in Washington at
ter this. The commissioners have much
work before them yet before they can
give final decision as to the famous
''long and short haul" clause The
Queen and Crescent and the Illinois
Central railroads have not yet presented
their cases and have asked permission to
submit written statements, giving the
facts more in detail than they could in
their testimony before the commission.
These documents will take time for
consideration. The testimony the COM
mission took on its trip has not vet
been written out, and when it is it will
have to be gone over carefully, SO that
you see there is considerable work to
be done before decision can be
reached.
The new rule adopted by the civil
service commission and approved by
the president have been the sole topic
of discussion among department clerL
for the past fortnight. These people
are very panicky nowadays at best
and anything looking to more rigid
wedding out of republicans frigbtens
them, as well it may. Most of them
would be in a deplOrable condition il
removed from their official positions.
Nothing is calculated to cause great
er CONSERVATION in Washington tina n
the contingency of dismissal, based on
the application OF new and strange
conditions, Whenever a vacancy occurs
all the clerks of the department in the
class below it must become candidates
for promotion eand face the compet-
tive examination. They have no dis
erection in the matter, tor the order is
mandatory. Thus, not only does the
clerk best fitted Tor the promotion get
vacant place, but the status of all the
rest is ascertained. Persons who can
get an average OF rs per cent. in the
markings of the examiners, as you re-
member, are eligible for promotion. Ali
who fail to attain that average are re-
examined in six months, and if they
again fail they become eligible to re
duction or dismissal.
So of course the terrible chances in
volVed in the new rules cause great eX-
element among government employees.
Four-tiiths of all of them in Washing
ton were appointed for supposed party
service, under republican administra-
tons, and while many of them are in
competent, they have held their places
because it was difficult to get rid of
them. 1t is to be hoped these rules
will enable the heads OF bureaus to cast
off some barnacles and to promote de-
serving .subordinates at any rate they
will be sure to compel degree of stu
dious application higherto unknown in
Washington.